Shikon: The Nightlife
by typowriter001
Summary: On the top of Tokyo's nightlife hierarchy reigns Shikon, a club of mixing worlds and exotic entertainment. Main entertainer and secret owner Kagome seems like your average party girl, but she and her two best friends have an ulterior motive for starting the club. Inuyasha stumbles upon this motive his first night in town and now, day or night, he finds Kagome's fate tied to his.
1. Chapter 1

The gleam of stage lights blinded Kagome as much as the strobe lights blinded the crowd. A familiar and welcome blinding; the pain of such a bright warmth was almost enjoyable. She had become so accustomed to the lights shining on her every night that they only seemed natural in the atmosphere of the rest club. Along with the smell of alcoholic sweat and the mesh of bodies beyond the lights, they all made up her nightlife on and off stage.

Then the music began.

Kagome resisted tapping her feet to the club mixed tune, reminding herself that dancing was Sango's job. And beside her, that was exactly what Sango was doing; swaying her hips and spinning like an exotic belly dancer yet much more tasteful. The shimmering strings of her flapper styled dress caught the light with every movement. She said she picked the dress because of the steeping v-neckline, but Kagome suspected it was because it reminded her of a real dancing costume.

On Kagome's other side, Rin twirled on her ballet flats causing the folds on her skirt to reveal the diamonds hidden underneath. Rin preferred her _other_ job over dancing though you could never tell. Her childish grin was as white as the sailor-styled uniform costume she wore, studded with diamond accents she beaded herself. Considering Rin looked young enough as it was, Kagome questioned why she ever allowed her to wear it.

The music picked up signaling Kagome it was her turn. She stepped into the spotlight over the microphone and let her voice echo over the pumping music and chattering voices. Over the clatter of Shippo expertly making drinks at the bar. Over the sound of high heels clicking on the dance floor.

Over the sound of hungry demons licking their lips.

She watched one in particular as she sung her heart out. He isolated himself from the crowd, clinging to the wall while keeping his eyes glued to the stage, glued to her. His dark hair covered his eyes leaving only his sharp teeth to grin into the flashing lights. Through his bangs Kagome could see a faint symbol on his forehead; he was the one she'd been waiting for.

Now that she'd spotted him, the song wasn't over fast enough. It seemed an eternity that she conversed with the microphone and stood for a moment when the song finished as cheers replaced her voice. She had to be patient; if she appeared rushed it would all be over. Slowly and carefully, she stepped down the stage and spread out from her accomplices taking their places in the shadows elsewhere.

She strutted alongside the bar with confidence before stopping in front of Shippo cleaning a glass with a rag. "The usual, Ship," she ordered but not before giving the secluded stranger a flirtatious half-smile.

She turned to her friend and employee. His black vest and rolled up sleeves showed the form of his average-toned muscles. His short red hair curled at the edges of his face revealing his young age of eighteen. He grinned and set down the glass he was cleaning while his tail swished with his pleasure of serving his employer – a high tipper. Only Kagome and her missing partners knew the real reason the sly fox was grinning.

"Make it two," the remote guy said as Shippo poured what only appeared to be an alcoholic beverage into Kagome's glass. He had come over and taken the stool next to her, though she refused to sit. Instead she leaned farther into the bar showing his presence was welcomed at her side.

Shippo nodded expertly hiding his smile and set down another glass in front of the guy. In it he poured a nearby whiskey – a different drink than Kagome's – to continue the charade that she was drinking and might be slightly disoriented later.

"I liked your song," the guy grinned almost devilishly.

She smiled swallowing her laugh. "Everybody does."

"I'm surprised your boss lets you wear that much clothing." He motioned toward her strapless gold dress reaching only inches enough to cover everything. It was less clothing than even the average clubber, but Kagome wore it for the seduction. And for the glittering gold stilettos that matched it.

She didn't correct him that she _was_ the boss.

Kagome giggled. "This isn't a strip club," she teased.

He leaned over her, his breath heating her ear. "We can always fix that."

She laughed desperately trying not to punch him. She couldn't afford to.

* * *

"Bright lights in the big city!" Inyuasha shouted in harmony with the song playing on the radio. He was glad he invested in a topless black car before moving to the city from their suburban town miles behind them. His brother rolled his eyes at his extreme excitement though behind him he could hear his best friend cheering along. Miroku always liked an excuse to party.

"Shouldn't we be unpacking?" Sesshomaru, always the sensible teacher, asked over the radio and wind.

"We just moved into one of the greatest cities in the world, you got a new job that pays well for your profession, and Miroku and I were accepted into the college of our choice," Inuyasha reminded. "Tonight we celebrate."

The car whizzed by bars and restaurants with neon signs becoming streaks against the night. Every street light seemed to turn green as they approached as if swayed by their happiness. Even Sesshomaru who tried resorting to reason smiled while enjoying the fresh breeze of wind.

Miroku leaned forward. "It's just up here; everyone at work has been talking about it."

Inuyasha pulled into a parking lot across the street from a building labeled _Shikon _in Japanese and English. Outside a line had formed with leather clad and thinly dressed party goers looking for selective entrance. The group of boys strolled to the back awaiting their turn.

The line moved surprising quickly – most of the people turned down by the bouncer. Despite their casual clothing, the three were instantly waved inside.

"Just like that?" Inuyasha questioned. "What made us different from the others?"

The bouncer just grunted and pointed to Inuyasha's flexing dog years. "Oh," was all he could say in reply.

The club was wall to wall dancing bodies and changing color lights. Music beat from tall speakers almost hurting Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's acute hearing. Demons of all sorts mixed with monks, mikos, and humans that seemed to know what they were dealing with. It made sense according to the bouncer's specific selection.

"I can see what the hype was about," Miroku grinned spotting a girl in a dress as radiant as a disco ball. She snuffed his flirt and turned away with a flip of her dark brown hair in a loosely tied bun. Miroku didn't take it to heart.

"Alright boys," Inyuasha declared. "Let's toast to new beginnings."

Budging between mashed couples and drunken loiterers, Inuyasha headed straight towards the bar already eyeing a drink. They all followed – Sesshomaru mumbling about having only one so he could drive – to the long black bar spanning the entire left wall.

It was empty except for the tender, a sleazy looking playboy, and a girl in a sparkling golden dress.

* * *

**I did a little editing on this chapter because I found a mistake while skimming it, and then one mistake turned to two . . . **

**I hope you enjoy the story! Please review, I'd like to know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! I know on my profile I said I'll update weekly/monthly (depending on my life), but I finished the second chapter early and thought - why not post it now?**

**Here's the second chapter of Shikon, hope you enjoy!**

**Special thanks to _I love Siberian tigers_ my first reviewer ever!**

**Also thanks to _Warm-Amber92_, _Nezumi-24-7_, and _maojun_ for the compliments! I hope I don't disappoint!**

**Well, back to the story . . .**

* * *

It took Sesshomaru two seconds to down his entire drink and only one more to begin to feel the alcohol's effects. He preferred that; only the slightest of buzzes that his demonic energy would burn off after a few hours.

Never lingering, his gaze danced over the crowd of mixing bodies around him. Not even the women occupied with dates caught his eye, the single ones looking too desperate for a string-less romance. Then again, he wasn't looking for more than an enjoyable night either.

He found his mind lost in space, his eyes peering towards two girls in the back of the room that appeared to be chatting. One was the brown-haired girl who snubbed Miroku when they entered.

The other was younger, dressed in a costume of a middle school sailor uniform. Her hair shimmered with sprayed on sparkles that matched her completely jeweled shoes. She must work here, Sesshomaru thought as his mind continued to wonder.

Then the girl shifted slightly, her weight leaning towards an emergency exit door. Between the glitters of her outfit, he caught the glint of something in her hand.

A bronze key locking the door.

* * *

Even with a drink in his hand, Inuyasha could barely take his eyes off the girl leaning into the bar over a drink without even a faint smell of alcohol. The guy with her had stood from his seat and now positioned his arms on both her sides. As sleazy men go he was one of the worst.

He whispered something in her ear before slipping his hand to her dress hem. Something flashed across her face for an instant before a smile a bit too curled replaced it.

She slapped his hand playfully, but the man's face flinched as if it had some force behind it. Seeing her sly grin, his own smirk returned as if nothing happened.

"You can look, but you can't touch," she toyed.

With a scowl, Inuyasha attempted to ignore the flippant couple by averting his gaze to other dazzling club women. He couldn't stand such a disgusting man who practically drooled over the girl, who wasn't much better, he figured, if she welcomed such vulgar behavior.

There wasn't an unbeautiful woman he could see on the dance floor, demon and human alike. However, none dazzled with the same lively spark as the golden dressed girl at his side. Even her coquettish giggles, high-pitched and inflated, rang with spark.

"Where's the fun in that?"

Something in the man's voice compelled Inuyasha to turn back. It was much too forceful, too hungry. He saw the man's hand wrapped around the girl's thigh tight enough to leave marks. She reached down, probably to try and remove it, but Inuyasha didn't give her the chance.

"She said hands off," he growled.

The girl seemed shocked at his demonic speed, appearing beside the two in an instant. He tore the man's hand off the girl, also forcing her hand up in the struggle. With the man's hand held tight in Inuyasha's grip, the only movement from the three was an object that slipped from the girl's hand and clattered to the floor.

Inuyasha followed the object's fall, only getting a good look when it stilled. Around the size of his hand, the object had two ends, jagged in their own way. One, sharp and silver – crafted delicately. The other, broken and wooden – snapped off from its original form.

A broken arrowhead.

The man stepped back, startled. "What the-?"

Inuyasha wondered the same thing, but hadn't the time to think it.

The girl shot out from beneath the man's loosened grip and snatched up the arrowhead, holding it like a dagger. Twisting back on the balls of her feet, she lunged toward the man, thrusting the arrowhead into the hand he rested on the bar. Pink light glinted between her fingers as she pinned the man in place.

He cried out in such agonizing pain Inuyasha was forced to step away, his grip on the man released when the girl dove for him. The yell disrupted the entire club; all eyes found the man at the bar bursting into screams for an unknown reason.

Inuyasha felt Sesshomaru and Miroku come up behind him to see the commotion, though he didn't look back to confirm the feeling. His eyes were still locked on the girl dressed in gold whose expression was a mixture of composed fury and cold annoyance.

"Shippo," she ordered beneath her breath. Only the three nearby onlookers were close enough to hear the command.

Behind the bar, the tender fell flush with the back wall of spirits and glasses. His hand braced against something, lurching down just before a ringing alarm stung everyone's ears. Inuyasha and Sesshomaru flinched away from the sound, as did many others with their case of acute hearing.

Two girls from the back leaped on to tables, their faces a contrast to the alarm in their voices. "Slayers!" they exclaimed, pointing to Inuyasha and his gang. Each boy stood frozen, confused, sharing looks of puzzlement.

At the word, all hell broke loose.

People flung themselves toward the main entrance, kicking and screaming. Demons fled the fastest, allowing no being to stand in their way. Within a minute, the club was clear, save for Inuyasha's group, the three girls and their tender assistant, and the man still wailing in pain.

The golden dressed girl approached Inuyasha slowly, the sound of her heels stretching to every corner of the club. Now he could see her face clearly; gold liner rimmed her rich brown eyes that were set in an intense gaze. Directed at him.

"Are you stupid?" she finally asked. Her eyebrows slunk down into a scowl that rang with irritation.

Inuyasha only stood there, dumbfounded. His head moved side to side for assistance from his partners but they seemed just as stupefied.

"Are you insane?! Do you have any idea what you could have cost us? What would've happened if I hadn't pinned him down?" Her voice rose with every accusation. "You could have ruined everything!"

"What were you thinking?" the brown-haired girl huffed.

"Were you even thinking at all?" the younger one added.

Leaning away from the girl's tirade, the boys remained too shocked for words. It wouldn't have mattered if they could respond; the golden dressed girl wasn't finished steaming her anger out on them.

"Kags," the brown-haired girl finally cut in. "We can deal with them later."

Glancing over her shoulder, "_Kags_" acknowledged the struggling man keeling over a bar stool from the pain. Snorting, she spun on her heel ready to face the man forced on his knees from a single arrow, eyeing the tip still protruding from his hand.

* * *

**Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**I present another Chapter of _Shikon_!**

**Thanks to _Warm-Amber92_ the first reviewer of Chapter 2! Also, to _arizonasiren_ for your review!**

* * *

Chapter Three

The fury inside Kagome deflated as quickly as it had risen up. How she desperately wanted to teach the silver-haired boy and his friends a lesson. She could feel the heat of power flow into her palms, sparks flickering off her fingertips.

Behind her, the demon struggled against her broken arrow trapping him to the bar.

Doubt trickled into her hands, dousing any blaze of energy she retained. Sango was right; they didn't have time for this.

Turning her attention back to the demon, she composed her face to a cold expression. If what she heard about the man was true, it was going to be a struggle to get what she wanted out of him.

Kagome huffed inwardly. She hated when the resisted, although she had to admit it was much more fun watching them squirm. More time was wasted, however, when they had to be _persuaded_.

Either way, she would get what she needed.

"A little birdy told me your name was Bankotsu," Kagome said with a sickly sweet voice.

Sango moved behind her to block their uninvited guests from their view. Kagome's mind teetered on the decision to throw them out on the street or to lock them in the basement so they could tell none of what they saw.

As much as she wanted to be rid of the bystanders, she could not jeopardize the good publicity of the club. Motioning to Shippo, she gave the signal to lock up the doors. He snuck away without attracting the attention of the boys behind her with a simple nod. Gritting her teeth, she tried to ignore her audience and the scowl given to her by her prisoner.

"I won't tell you a thing," he spat at her, with a chuckle ending his speech.

There was defiance in his voice. Kagome almost smiled at the thought of ripping it out of him.

"Rin."

Before anyone could blink, Rin stabbed a thin knife into Bankotsu's other hand. This one dug a lot harder into the table, breaking his bones up to his knuckle. Rin kept her hand on the knife, itching to move it up his arm and across his throat.

Gasps of shock rang out behind the girls. "What are you doing?!" The silver haired boy exclaimed.

None of the girls planned to give them any answer. Only Rin looked back at them, curiosity apparent in her wide eyes, but her allegiance showed in her returning glance to Kagome, awaiting the allowance to skin the man beneath her blade.

"Let's try that again," Kagome snapped. Rin pulled his braid of hair back until he was forced to look up at Kagome. "Are you Bankotsu, servant of Naraku?"

The name came off her lips easily, though tinged with disgust. Every time she said the name – heard the name – shivers of hatred ran up and down her arms. She could hear Sango's jaw tighten and saw Rin's eyes darken to pits of black at the name they all despised.

"How did you know about that?" He managed with a hint of laughter.

Rin pulled harder on his tail of hair, angered at his lightness of the situation. "Answer the question," she hissed.

Kagome could practically hear his restrain slipping. "Yes," he grunted.

She smiled. "Now that we're all acquainted, how about you tell us where Naraku is?"

A laugh escaped Bankotsu's lips, loud and full of humor. The club's walls threw the laughter around for a while, each cackle growing weaker until it was replaced by the next. Kagome's patients grew thin as a toothy grin slid across his features.

"Torture me all you want, I'll never tell."

Rin twisted the knife; a sickening crack sounded along with the slicing of flesh. Bankotsu screamed, growing deathly pale at the pain consuming him. From the wound in his hand, blood ran in narrow rivers down his knuckles.

Sango sighed. "That's going to stain."

"I think I'm going to be sick," the dark haired boy of the onlookers bellowed. Kagome ignored him and strutted behind Bankotsu with slow, calculated steps. Reaching his blind spot, she slipped her heel around the ring of the bar stool he leaned on and pulled it from his weight. He landed hard on his chin, spitting more blood into the pools around his hands.

Her heel bit into his back. "Listen, demon. Unlike you I don't have time to waste."

She rested her hand next to his face so he could see the faint glow of pink growing. The arrow was only a hint at her true capabilities; now he could see what she really was. His arrogance fled and he swallowed whatever comment he was going to say.

"Tell us where he is, or things are about to get worse for you."

* * *

The smell of blood wafted into Inuyasha's nose until it stained the inside of his nostrils. Mixing with the fog of intoxication wrapped around his mind, he felt sick to his stomach.

Sesshomaru looked less revolted by the smell, despite his more acute senses. Miroku fared the worst of all three; his weight pivoted from one foot to the other, unsteady and light-headed, like he was about to pass out. Before he landed on his face, Inuyasha ushered him to a nearby bar stool.

"We can't stay here like this," Inuyasha whispered to his brother. Sesshomaru nodded in agreement, eyeing the Kags girl ready to rip apart the Bankotsu man.

"What we need is a distraction."

Inuyasha's gaze fell to the brown-haired girl he suspected was more of a guard to them than her friends. His mind reeled through ways to escape almost coming up completely empty handed. Almost.

His eyes flickered to Sesshomaru who, with one look, he could determine was thinking the exact same thing. As brothers could do, they silently delivered their messages of preparation until another cry from Bankotsu dragged all attention elsewhere.

"I'm more afraid of him than I am of you," he strained, trying not to let on how much pain he was enduring. Inuyasha could tell he wouldn't be able to withstand the torture much longer.

Discreetly, Inuyasha leaned down to Miroku's ear to deliver their plan.

"When you see an opportune moment," he said. "Disorient the brown-haired girl."

"The hot one?" he hiccupped, a bit too loudly for Inuyasha's taste. "If you say so . . ."

Another loud grunt of pain came from Bankotsu, drawing their attention to him. "Last chance," Kags warned. "Tell us where he is, you demon–"

"He's not a demon."

Inuyasha only realized the impact his input would have after the four simple words left his mouth. All eyes fell to him, three pairs burning holes into his forehead. Gulping down his nerves, he tried to appear unaffected by Kags's razor-sharp glare.

"Excuse me?" she inquired briskly.

Inuyasha put forth all of his courage, reminding himself he was not afraid of three human girls merely because they held sharp blades. "Bankotsu – he's not a demon."

Something flashed across their faces, mostly shock masked by anger – and embarrassment from Kags. Inuyasha only briefly recognized the paling of Bankotsu's skin when he refocused on his plan.

"How can you tell?" the younger one – Rin – asked, surprisingly without malice.

"We _are_ demons," Sesshomaru answered. "We can smell in his blood he is merely a human."

Kags stepped off of Bankotsu's back to face the boys, a look of bewilderment breaking through her anger. She shared a quick glance between the other two, silent messages passing between their connections.

"You don't think . . ." Rin trailed off.

The brown-haired girl turned to Kagome, frustration and assuredness in her voice. "He wouldn't tell his location to a human. They're too expendable."

Under her breath, Kags mumbled something to herself in a furious tone. Inuyasha strained to hear it, but the words were lost by an obnoxious groan from Miroku. Standing from his seat, he stumbled around making his disorientation clear in his uneasy moans.

"I think I drank too much," he slurred. Each of his steps wobbled purposefully toward the brown-haired girl, though all under her radar. Without warning, he 'tripped' over his own feet and threw himself slack on top of her.

The girl screeched, drawing Rin and Kags to her side as she tossed Miroku off of her. He collided with the bar, a grunt escaping his lips. Before he could topple to the floor, Sesshomaru hoisted him to his feet.

"Now–!" Inuyasha began, but his voice was drowned out by another escape attempt.

Bankotsu slid his hands off of the weaponry's top, painfully but quickly. The first victim of his revenge was Rin, shoved aside into a nearby table and landing into the side of the stage. Just as her friends ran to her aid, Bankotsu sent the knife originally trapping him spinning towards the two girls.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru backed away from the commotion, dragging Miroku with them. "We wanted a distraction," Sesshomaru mumbled to his brother.

Inuyasha had to agree, although his conscious tugged at him to help. The distraction was their fault – and so was everything that came of it.

He was unable to give the thought deeper consideration. Bankotsu charged toward the door, tearing down all in his way – meaning Inuyasha.

"Step aside." He pushed past the three with more strength than a human should possess. "And thanks for the help."

Inuyasha growled. "We didn't do it for you."

Bankotsu chuckled. "Whatever."

Leaping onto a table, Bankotsu made a two finger salute that made Inuyasha's blood boil. He wondered why hearing the man's cries of pain clouded his memory from the sleazy man Inuyasha knew him to be.

Bankotsu only managed one foot forward. A tan streak flew across the room, stopping Bankotsu in his tracks. The whistle of rushing air that came from the spiraling flash was the only sound that flooded all ears.

Until the flying object reached Bankotsu.

A gurgle choked Bankotsu as the streak ripped across his throat turning tan to red. Inuyasha waited for the scream, but it never came – he was already dead.

His body dropped onto the table, smearing blood when it rolled to the floor. The streak continued its orbit until returning to the bar, where the open hand of the brown-haired girl welcomed it.

Frozen from fear, the three boys couldn't tear their horror filled eyes away from the limp form just feet away. Their terror only increased as a voice found their ears. The malice within the voice was so palpable, it turned Inuyasha's blood to ice.

"You're going to pay for that."

* * *

**. . . Not my best work, but not my worst. **

**A note on why a powerful demon, strong half-demon, and spiritual monk stood stupefied when they could have been helping Bankotsu or even escaping: three words; shock, confusion, and alcohol. Everything around them is happening very fast, so fast it is hard for them to keep up. We'll see more spark in them next chapter when some questions get answered and there's less eagerness to kill from the girls. **

**Chapter Four is in the works and will be up ASAP. **

**Thanks for reading and please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four up sooner than expected!**

**Thanks _Warm-Amber92_ for another great review!**

* * *

Chapter Four

Sango gripped her Hiraikotsu so hard the sides dug into her palm sure to leave long marks. She could feel the warm blood against the smooth surface underneath her hand and tried not to think about the man she just killed.

The human man.

Her stomach summersaulted as bile rose up in her throat determined to strangle her. She knew she should not be unnerved by the thought ― Bankotsu was still a servant of _that_ man ― but upon hearing that he was human, she lost her vigor.

Kagome had lost hers as well ― Sango saw it in her eyes after the demon boy spoke out. She could also see it when his body slid to the floor and Kagome forced her eyes away.

Without her order, Sango let her Hiraikotsu fly thinking only of everything they would lose if he escaped. She didn't want to kill a human ― it made her no better than a demon.

Kagome counted her breaths as if they were precious seconds slipping by without her being able to stop them.

One ― Sango's Hiraikotsu swam across the room.

Two ― Bankotsu's throat burst into a shower of red rain.

Three ― his body collapsed onto the table and then tumbled to the floor.

Four ― Hiraikotsu was drawn back into Sango's grasp.

Five ― the silver-haired boy let out a shaky breath, filled to the brim with horror that mirrored Kagome's own.

The only difference was that Kagome could get over hers.

"You're going to pay for that," she spat with a voice spewing venom, referring to the boys' failed attempt at distraction. She assumed the attempt was in hopes of their own escape, however, she couldn't overlook the troubles that arose because of it.

The tallest ― and Kagome suspected oldest ― of the three eyed the door they had no knowledge of being locked. Rin read his body language before even Kagome. With her near-demonic speed, she moved into his line of sight between the three and the door.

Sango neighboring the opposite of Rin, Kagome strolled to the open space left to surround the boys. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Shippo hanging around the far wall. His eyebrow hitched at the body on the floor, a question to proceed with a task he never minded, though it wasn't in his job description. She granted his inquiry with a subtle wave of her hand and reminded herself to give him a bonus in his paycheck.

In her direct line of vision, she regarded the silver-haired boy ― the nearest. Her memory recalled their first meeting, when he defended her from Bankotsu's touchy hands. The lights glinted off his hair in a dazzling show that contrasted his golden eyes and nearly had her thunderstruck.

Despite his meddling nearly blowing her cover, she was still grateful for his protection.

Forcefully, Kagome tossed the memory aside. The club's reputation was at stake ― and therefore so was their main income of information on the demon world.

"I don't remember the last time anyone pissed me off this much," she scowled. "Who do you think you are?!"

"Listen," the silver-haired boy growls. "We don't want any trouble _Kags_, so just let us―"

Kagome's fist rammed into the boy's cheek before Sango could hold her back. Her mind could only watch as her body punched outward without her full approval. Even though her body moved as a reflex, she didn't regret it.

"Don't _ever_ call me Kags."

There existed only three people allowed to call her that nickname ― and one was dead. The other two were at her sides, one gripping her outstretched fist so she wouldn't be able to hit the boy again.

"Kagome, don't," Sango warned in a hushed tone. "There's an easier way to do this."

Trembling in anger, Kagome only stopped resisting when she recognized the dread weighing down on her friend's voice. She knew immediately Bankotsu's death was the cause of Sango's despair.

Selflessly, Kagome swallowed her anger and let her hand fall limp. The silver-haired boy hadn't moved an inch despite the ferocity in Kagome's punch. His head merely turned slightly, a red mark glowing against his skin.

"My name is Kagome," she said with more composed emotions. "But if I were you, I wouldn't bother remembering it."

A clearing throat behind them caught Kagome's attention. She turned, ever so slightly, to see a newly returned Shippo patiently waiting in the darkness. He tapped the watch apparent on his wrist.

When Kagome caught the hour hand past the two, her insides groaned. The night was supposed to end at midnight, giving them plenty of time for sleep before their daytime responsibilities.

"Why not?" The dark-haired one questioned with drooping eyebrows.

"Let me make this clear." Kagome swiped a knife hidden in Rin's waistline and pointed at the silver-haired boy's throat. His inability to flinch mildly impressed her.

"This will be the last time we ever lay eyes on each other, unless of course, you decide to tell anyone about our little incident tonight."

She tilted the knife upward so the point pinched his chin, but not enough to draw blood. A deep, low growl vibrated in his throat before the oldest placed a firm hand on his shoulder.

"If we keep our mouths shut . . ." He began.

Rin stepped in. "Then you'll never see us again."

* * *

Shippo watched the scene from the background, going nearly unnoticed apart from Miss Kagome who he directed toward him. He figured she would appreciate a reminder of the time; he doubted she had a second to pay attention to the hour.

Shippo smiled at his own thought.

Though his intentions were not so selfish as to want Miss Kagome to hurry along her confrontation so he could leave. There was something she needed to know – something about the Bankotsu character – which he suspected she would want to hear as soon as possible.

His attention drew back to the strange group – a demon so strong Shippo could smell the power radiating off him, a half-demon with the strong scent of dog, and a seemingly ordinary human that Shippo suspected had hidden talents. Their conversing aloud had ended and now it was a matter of the minds.

Finally, the demon-group gave in.

"We give you our word," the full-demon promised with a serious face Shippo hadn't seen waver.

Miss Kagome huffed; a disguised sigh of relief. She stepped aside allowing the men to drag off their unsteady friend without protest. Shippo unlocked the door as they approached and didn't breathe a word on their way out.

The door rattled shut behind them.

"That could have gone better." Miss Kagome threw herself on a bar stool, draping her arms over the counter. She looked exhausted, more so than most nights. Whether it was the stress of the situation or extra usage of power that drove her to the state, Shippo couldn't tell.

"It could have gone worse," Miss Rin shrugged, pulling up a chair from a nearby table.

She always commented on how weird it sounded when Shippo called her 'Miss', with him being older than her and all. Still, Shippo could not shake the manners his parents taught him and wouldn't dream of calling her anything else.

"No," Miss Sango said darkly. "I don't think it could have."

"Uh," Shippo cut in before things could get too grim. "There's something I think you should know."

"What is it, Ship?" Miss Kagome asked.

"That man – Bankotsu – he wasn't human. Or should I say, wasn't human anymore."

Miss Sango's head popped up, eyes wide with hope urging Shippo to continue. "When I disposed of his body, it turned to ash and bones in my hands. Within seconds it disintegrated leaving nothing behind."

The girls were confused. "So?" Miss Rin questioned.

"So – he was already dead. Brought back to life through dark power, let me tell you . . ." What he didn't say was that it also meant Miss Sango didn't kill a human man.

He didn't say because he didn't need to.

Tears of joy threatened to fall down Miss Sango's cheeks as she ran into Shippo for a spinning hug. She thanked him profusely despite his protests that he did nothing – simply informed them of the information.

Miss Kagome came up and wrapped a friendly arm around Miss Sango. Around her waist, Miss Rin dove in for a warm hug.

It reminded Shippo why he stayed with these often misunderstood girls who accepted any blood on their hands in the name of justice.

"It's been a long night," Miss Kagome finally said, "And we all have big days tomorrow."

The three girls agreed, heading for their upstairs office where a change of clothes would be waiting for them. With a pleasant goodbye, Shippo grabbed his coat as protection from the stirring chill outside and stepped out into the darkened streets.

Before his depart, he twisted an intricate key in the front door's lock knowing the girls would always take the back way.

Shikon would sleep for another day until the next night.

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**I was so excited to do Shippo's perspective! There was going to be a little more 'revealing' in this chapter, but as I wrote it, I felt the boys would be more inclined to stay away from the girls if they didn't know what was going on.**

**. . . Like that'll keep them away?**

**Next Chapter introduces the daytime life of our main characters and the obstacles they are about to encounter.**

**Please Review and I hope you enjoy where the story is going!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry for the late update! I had a bit of writers block and was diagnosed with procrastination.**

**Thanks to _Warm-Amber92 _(did I thank you for your chapter 3 review? Either way big thanks!) and to _Nezumi-24-7_ and _buckiemuckato _for your reviews!**

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Pounding throbbed in Miroku's head, a combination of his pulsing blood and a splitting headache, keeping him awake hours before his alarm would blare 8:30. In a way, he was grateful he could turn off the retched thing before he was forced to listen to its agonizing wailing.

His mind was painfully sober of all daze from the previous night. He had hoped the details would disappear, replaced by the excruciating hangover, but they remained clear in his memory. The screams. The blood. The hot brown-haired girl who chopped the Bankotsu-man's head off.

Jolting open at the thought, his eyes ached and stung with a bloodshot feeling that he hoped would wash out in his shower. The girl was the clearest image he could remember; a reoccurring thought that plagued him throughout his sleepless night. He still couldn't decide whether she scared him half to death or drove him mad with intrigue.

Judging by his actions, he guessed it was a little of both.

A loud knocking batters Miroku's head and drags a tormented moan out of him. "Not so loud," he mumbled into his sheets.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha's voice yells from the other side of his door. "I hope you're up!"

With a groan of annoyance in response, Miroku curled deeper into the lingering warmth of his bed. The chill of morning bit at his bare back facing the window pouring in sunlight that made his head ache even more. His eyes drooped closed again, ignoring the warning his alarm clock gave him.

He could practically hear Inuyasha roll his eyes. "I'm heading out so I won't be here to wake your ass up if you fall back asleep."

"I won't," Miroku called back, unconvincingly.

"You better not pull this crap when the semester starts," Inuyasha muttered before footsteps sounded down the stairs. The distant slam of the front door signaled Miroku that he had their apartment to himself.

Sluggishly, he sat up, his back hunched over from exhaustion. More than anything he wanted to stay snuggled in his bed all day long – as he always did in the mornings. The only thought that compelled him from his sleep was the promise of a paycheck at the week's end.

Shaking his ponytail out of his hair, Miroku trudged across the hall to the bathroom, turning off all the lights in his wake. He showered in the darkness, allowing the cool water to wash away all signs of his wild night. The patter soothed his internal pain, but couldn't drown the lingering thoughts.

_You'll never see us again_, the younger girl whose name he forgot had said.

It was better that way, he told himself. The girls and their club were nothing but trouble, trouble they didn't need. In a two days, Inuyasha and he would start at the local University to finish up their last two years. Afterward . . . well, he wasn't sure what exactly, but he was sure it would be better than his current situation.

By 8:45, he was dressed in his dark suit and strolling down the street hunting for a cab. His eyes unconsciously glazed over one of the few parking spots outside their apartment complex in search for Sesshomaru's expensive car. He wasn't surprised to find the red Camaro missing; Sesshomaru would have left an hour ago for his first day.

A yellow cab pulled over, Miroku entering the environment of cigarette smoke and aged coffee. It was one of the cleaner ones and the driver seemed relatively normal as far as taxi drivers go.

"Tokyo Now headquarters," Miroku instructed, digging in his pockets for his wallet. In the rearview mirror he caught his reflection and swore. He had forgotten to comb his hair in his rush to leave and now it stuck out at unnatural angles.

"You wouldn't by any chance have a hairbrush, would you?"

The driver laughed and shook his head.

"Not the impression I wanted to make on my first day," Miroku sighed, causing more roaring from the front seat. He couldn't see how the day could get any worse.

"Miroku Mushin?"

Miroku's head spun to the young secretary at the front desk. Her eyebrow was still hitched up from his earlier inquiry about her current relationship status; she hadn't believed him when he said he worked there.

His charming smile returned, pretending that he wasn't fussing over his wild hair in the lobby's mirror. The secretary was unamused.

"Director Haraiya will see you now."

She escorted him to a gold elevator, her heels clicking on the sparkling marble floor, and pressed the button to the top floor. Despite his best efforts, she remained silent the entire ride, leaving him to lean awkwardly against the cushion walls. The only sound came from the dings as each of the thirty-eight buttons flickered out.

The thirty-eighth floor didn't come soon enough for Miroku or the secretary. He assumed as much from her multiple taps to the door closed button before it descended back down to the lobby. Without being put off, he adjusted his navy blue jacket and strutted down the modern décor coated hallway.

At the end of the black granite path below his feet, two glass doors towered into the far up ceiling. Beyond the gold handles he gripped, he could see two desks mirroring each other outside and even larger door, opaque designs of bamboo etched in the glass.

He could make out only the finest furniture, symmetrical interior design, and someone sitting in the desk, brown hair falling over her shoulders as she typed. Her beautiful almond eyes struck Miroku with shock as he barged in. It couldn't be . . .

Sitting behind the office desk wearing a pencil skirt and frilly blouse, the brown-haired girl looked like the older twin sister of the one he met the night before. The one who chopped off a man's head with boomerang.

"Sorry for the wait, I look forward to working with . . ." her words trailed off as she glanced up to see him, one of the men she swore she'd never see again. She abruptly stood, the trinkets occupying her desk shaking with her hands slamming down on the white structure. "_You_!"

"Hello, again," Miroku smiled uneasily. The flaming rage in her eyes reminded him of her true capabilities and he took a step back.

Her mouth gaped, ready to spew more selective words at him, when the designed glass doors opened. A shorter, older – _by centuries_, Miroku couldn't help but think – woman walked through them. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail rather than letting it fall free as she had the day Miroku interviewed as her assistant.

"Oh goody, you're here!" she exclaimed with one of her constant grins. "I'm so glad you made it all the way from Osaka."

He smiled his most charismatic beam. "And miss the opportunity of a lifetime working for the most respected magazine in Japan? Not a chance."

She laughed and patted his shoulder, affably. "Well, we're pleased to have you. This here is my assistant Sango, she'll be your guide around the office. Sango, this is Miroku." She leaned into his ear, faking a whisper. "Actually, I hired you to take the load off of her. Without help, she'd work herself ill."

"Well we wouldn't want that, Director Haraiya," he agreed, watching Sango's cheeks flush pink.

"Please, call me Madame." She patted him once more before heading out the doors, calling back as she walked. "I hope we all get along well!"

"So do I," Miroku uttered under his breathy, catching sight of the pencil snapped in Sango's grip.

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**As I said in my profile, this chapter was originally all three parings and was cut due to the length. I'm pretty sure Chapter Six will be Inuyasha and Kagome.**

**Madame Exorcist made an appearance! She's going to be loads of fun later on . . .**

**Thanks for reading! Don't forget to share your thoughts and review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**This was supposed to be Inuyasha and Kagome's chapter, but I lost my notebook . . . So Sesshomaru and Rin will have to take over. Chapter 7 will be up as soon as I find it.**

**I have a poll on my profile for a new story, please help!**

**Warm-Amber92: Thanks as always and you may be right about that!**

**Also thanks to nezumi 246 for your review! I really appreciate it everyone!**

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She was there, in the classroom's fourth row, staring out the window with an expression lost in a dream. Thin rimmed, circular glasses covered her eyes and nearly disguised her appearance completely. The braids over her shoulders added to the fact that she looked years younger than the girl Sesshomaru met yesterday, the one in the shimmering school uniform,

He could barely draw his eyes away she looked so different. At first, he wondered if his suspicion was right or that he was just being paranoid. But one sniff of her lilac scent proved she was the youngest in the group at Shikon. He clearly recalled her wielding the knife stuck through the Bankotsu man's hand with a cold expression.

He also remembered her being the most reasonable of the three.

"Hello class," another teacher who showed Sesshomaru around on his arrival greeted. The girl – what was her name? Ren? – jumped at the sound and finally met Sesshomaru's gaze. Her head lifted from her hand with eyes as round as her lenses.

"This is Mr. Tashio, your new homeroom advisor. He's also going to be your English," she smiled at him again before walking back the way she came. Attention then fell on him, all twenty-eight pairs of eyes trained on his behind reading glasses he only wore while teaching. Yet with all the students in the navy uniform watching him, there was just one he couldn't stop staring at.

With force, he broke their stare and turned to the board to spell out his name in English. "As Mrs. Hitomi said, my name is Mr. Tashio and I look forward to spending the year with you."

His demonic hearing caught whispers followed by giggling behind him. The high-pitched sound was undoubtedly female and he could guess the context of their hushed conversation. At his last school, he heard from his colleagues the rumors spread by his female students in the halls. He would have been lying if he said it played no part in his resignation.

He turned back keeping the girl far out of his line of sight. Instead he focused on the lesson plan written up from the notes their previous homeroom teacher. "Mr. Tokoku informed me you just finished with the subjunctive tense of verbs. Please take out your workbooks and open them to page thirty six. We'll pick up where you left off."

The students reached for their books in their bags and desks. While they flipped to the correct page, Sesshomaru glanced over the seating chart to slyly catch the girl's name – his mind digging in his memory trying to decipher it was driving him crazy.

Rin. Rin Kuroitori.

"In the sentence written in number four, _nozomu_ would translate as?"

Most heads stayed hunched over their book, squinting as if it would help the answer arise. Sesshomaru didn't expect any eyes to glance back up for a while, but there hers were, awaiting to see if her mind formulated it correctly. Despite her finish minutes before anyone else even had a clue. Still her hand remained locked against her book.

A girl in the second row raised her hand straight in the air with confidence. Her back was as erect as her short dark hair framing her fluttering eyes. He could tell her type; desperate to show off, surrounded by gossiping friends, and haughty enough to think she owned the world. It was her type that always made him question his job.

Nevertheless, he called on her. "_I hope."_

She stressed her p too much and her I sounded more like an Ah to Sesshomaru's ears, but she acted as if she spoke like a true American. Sesshomaru tried not to let his annoyance at her personality show. He merely smiled and said, "Correct."

It seemed Rin was correct too; she smiled into her book before realizing his eyes were on her again. She blinked two times before his eyes slid to the rest of the class not to arouse suspicion that they knew each other. Then again, he told himself, the only suspicion he was arousing was his own.

"Repeat after me. _I hope to see you again._"

"I hope to see you again," they relayed in unison. Their Japanese accent was thick in their voice, something Sesshomaru expected. However, he could hear a soft voice whispering the words with perfect pronunciation.

Workbook in hand, he began pacing around the room on the hunt for the voice. "_I want to go there on Wednesday._"

"I want to go there on Wednesday."

Wen-su-deh filled the room as he walked through the second row. The voice came from the other side of the classroom, closer to the window, though he still couldn't tell if it was a boy or girl speaking with a foreign tongue.

He moved steadily across the back of the room and towards the row against the windows while he had the students read the next page's paragraph. Some of the students held their breath while straining to make sense of the otherwise gibberish before them. The sound of breathing and his own steps from his formal shoes set his troubling thoughts at ease for a brief moment.

Soon, one breathing in particular became much too slow and soothed. "_I wish that school will be closed on Monday_."

"I wish that school will be closed on Monday."

Sesshomaru stopped halfway through the row in surprise. He couldn't distinguish a correct pronunciation in the mess of wi-shu and skoo-ru. "The_ ru _in _school_ is more _lu_. Let's try it again."

"I wish that school will be closed on Monday."

For the second time, the soft voice was missing, though the other students' pronunciation improved. He moved up the row with slower steps, his hearing searching for reasons the voice would be missing. Then he realized two things simultaneously: One, the steady breathing continued to beat like the ticks of the clock and two, he had heard the soft voice once before.

Sesshomaru stalked up to Rin's desk, looming over her head deep in her workbook. Every so often her head rose and fell with her chest, deep in sleep. Her eyes were lidded and pressed against her askew glasses. Sesshomaru paused for a second, a part of him wanting to see if she'd begin to snore, until the staring eyes of her classmates woke her. Her gaze shifted up until it drowsily found Sesshomaru's disapproving glare.

She abruptly jolted upright into the back of her chair, fully awake. Giggling and cackling made her cheeks flush a bright red, the rest of her body stiff as a board. Frozen in shock or fear – or both – she reminded Sesshomaru of a deer in oncoming headlights.

"Ms. Kuroitori." She jumped slightly at his voice, righting her glasses with a tilt. "See me after class."

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**My Japanese is weak and I'm still learning, so I apologize for any mistakes. **

**Again, please take my poll on my profile - I can't post until I have a title!**

**Thanks for reading and remember to review!**


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